Leeds vs Man Utd preview: team news and prediction

I'll be honest with you, I'm dreading this one, and it's not because I think Leeds are a better side than us. It's because I've watched enough of this team to know exactly how it goes if we turn up at Elland Road the way we turned up in Madrid on Tuesday.

If you're watching, it's Sunday 18 October at 2pm, live on Sky Sports Main Event. It was meant to be Saturday at three until Sky moved it, which I'm sure was very convenient for everyone who'd already sorted their weekend around it.

Where we're at

Two games and no wins, and if I'm being fair to the lads, the 2-0 in Madrid isn't the one that bothers me. Plenty of teams go to Atlético and lose. The one I can't get past is the Spurs game, because they had ten men at Old Trafford and we still couldn't find a way to beat them. My dad texted me "same old" at full time and didn't send anything else all night, and to be honest he didn't need to.

The thing is, I want Carrick to do well, I really do. He knows the club, you can tell he cares, and he earned the job on merit rather than being handed it. But this is United, and you don't get long here any more, so if we come back from Leeds with nowt you know the talk starts, and once it starts with us it never really stops.

Team news

The injury list is getting proper silly now. Šeško's still out with his shin and nobody's putting a date on his return, Dorgu's out until late November with his hamstring, and Ugarte is still on the way back from knee surgery. Shaw and Mainoo both picked up knocks against Spurs so they're doubts, and Mazraoui's a doubt with his back as well. The good news, if you can call it that, is that De Ligt's back in contention and Yoro is available.

Leeds have Rodon out with a hamstring injury and Dan James being checked on his back, but Harry Wilson's fit again, which isn't what we wanted to hear.

I don't think people realise how much we miss Šeško. Without a proper number nine we just pass it round the edge of the box for what feels like five minutes until somebody gets fed up and has a go from 30 yards. And if Mainoo doesn't make it either, I genuinely couldn't tell you who's going to get hold of the ball in the middle of the park.

Leeds won't fear us one bit

And why would they? They beat us 2-1 at Old Trafford in April, their first league win there since 1981, and I'm still not completely over it if I'm honest. I was sat there at full time just staring at the telly. We drew 1-1 at Elland Road in January as well, so that's two goes at them last season and we didn't beat them once.

They did lose 2-1 at Arsenal last weekend, which ended their unbeaten run, but a couple of weeks before that they battered Newcastle 4-1, so don't let anyone tell you they're there for the taking. That ground is going to be bouncing, and they'll run at our full-backs all afternoon, which is exactly why I'm worried if Shaw doesn't make it.

What I'd do

If it were me, all I'd ask for is that we get through the first 20 minutes without doing anything daft. Let the crowd go a bit quiet, let Leeds come at us, and then hit them on the break, because we look a completely different side when there's space to run into. It's when we try to keep the ball and boss a game that it all falls apart, because we just haven't got the midfield for that right now.

It's only three days after Madrid too, so if that means leaving a big name on the bench for someone with fresher legs, then do it and tell us why. I'd take a bit of honesty over another press conference about "positives" any day of the week.

Prediction

I'm going 1-1, and I'm dead nervous about even that. It's a hard place to go, the injury list is as long as your arm, and I just can't see us keeping a clean sheet there. A point wouldn't be the end of the world, but with the way this season's started it won't feel like we're going anywhere either.

If you're new here, this is what the blog's all about, and I'll have my reaction up after full time on Sunday on the reactions page.

Dan's Verdict: Sunday won't decide Carrick's future on its own, but another flat away day and the questions start for real.

So go on then, who's starting up front for you with Šeško out?